6 Tech Conferences You Want to Make Sure You’re Handing Your Business Cards Out at This Year

Saleh Stevens
If you are in the tech space, you need to attend conferences. The technology industry evolves fast; if you miss out on the information that leaders share at conferences, you’ll soon find yourself running at the back of the pack. Stay in the front where you belong by attending — and networking throughout — at least two conferences per year. Here are the top tech conferences, in my opinion, that we’ll see in the next year.

Google I/O Conference
When it comes to technology, Google is well-regarded as one of the most innovative, progressive companies existing in the world today. In recent years, the Google I/O (which stands for input/output) conference has focused on the development of Chrome, Chrome OS, and the App Engine. This annual developer’s conference first started in 2008. This year, it will take place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California from May 8th to the 10th.

Worldwide Developers Conference
An annual event hosted by the executives at Apple, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) draws together some of the world’s top mind in tech. Traditionally, this event is software focused. We can expect that this year’s speakers will reveal the cutting-edge developments in macOS, as well as the latest on the Apple TV digital media player (tvOS). This is an excellent conference for those interested specifically in Apple products. But you don’t have to be interested in Apple exclusively. By going to this conference, you are sure to interact with leaders in the tech industry, because Apple is such a top-tier brand. Take advantage of this by being ready to engage with brilliant minds. You may want to research Apple’s latest innovations before you go so that you have a talking point to start out with.

MobileBeat 
The MobileBeat conference is an annual event that dives into the tech that supports the mobile world. This year, there’s going to be a heavy focus on AI, which is infiltrating mobile phone design and affects the way that consumers and marketers relate to phones. This years event will take place in Las Vagas, from March 12th to 15th.

Collision
The Collision Conference is America’s fastest growing tech conference, for good reason. This powerhouse of an event attracts investors, CEOs, tech innovators, and media professionals from more than five thousand different companies. It has an international audience, so attendees can connect with professionals from over 100 different countries. The conference started just two years ago, and the growth is a testament to the value that it offers to guests. Speakers scheduled for this year’s conference include Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, and Marc Mathieu, CMO of Samsung Electronics. The 2018 conferences will take place in New Orleans. Tech experts such as Saleh Stevens highly recommend this event.

TechCruch Disrupt
At TechCruch Disrupt, attendees will have the opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs and innovators. This conference has a reputation for specializing in tech startups. Early stage startup companies that participate in the conference compete for a fifty thousand dollar prize that comes along with a good deal of publicity. Because of this, the conference draws many start-up companies as well as investors — which can mean new partnerships in the making! If you have a tech start-up, this might be a great place to meet potential investors as well as fellow inventors, businessmen, and entrepreneurs.

Future Festival
Jeremy Gutsche, New York Times best-selling author and CEO of Trend Hunter, says that Future Fest is “a place for the world’s top innovators to prototype their future”. Just going to this conference will change the way you view yourself and your tech skills. When you associate with the forward-thinkers of the world, you gain a new perspective. Saleh Stevens states that this is one of the most life-changing tech events that he has attended. One CEO attendant raved that the conference “created opportunities for our team and expanded our people’s thinking.” If that sounds like something you are interested in for you and your team, be sure to book tickets to one of Future Festivals events this year. There are several, so you can choose the date and location that works best for you.

Saleh Stevens recommends that when you attend a conference, make sure to go out of your way to introduce yourself to the people around you. Don’t hide away in your hotel room after the lectures are over. Interact and take full advantage of each scheduled activity. Be sure to pack plenty of business cards for handing out. You never know who you might connect with in this way.

Green Energy Marlon Kobacker Explains Healing Concrete Benefits

energy photo

Concrete is a very important construction material used for roads, bridges and buildings just like how the business card is a key building component to building your business. One of the primary weaknesses of concrete is that its rigidity may lead to cracks. Learn how Sustainability Professional Marlon Kobacker can help you use “healing concrete” for your next building project.

Water seepage into concrete can turn an “anthill into a mountain” or more specifically a “divot into a sinkhole.” The water can leak into the steel girders and cause them to rust, weakening the structure. Henk Jonkers of the Netherlands Delft University of Technology has an answer: “We have invented bioconcrete — that’s concrete that heals itself using bacteria.”

Henk continued: “We are combining nature with construction materials.” He has combined bacillus bacteria with calcium lactate to create capsules to add to the wet concrete mix. When it rains, the moisture will active the bacteria, which will create limestone. The limestone repairs the concrete material.

For other natural building solutions, clients are turning to the Eco-Friendly Sustainability Expert Marlon Kobacker. Organizations can now create better, more eco-friendly solutions by using the latest green construction materials. Save money and love the Mother Earth at the same time.

Randi Glazer Offers Expert Insight Regarding Business Security

When the subject of security is raised with regard to a business and its long-term goals, there tends to be a varied understanding of what exactly the term is specifically referring to. After all, Randi Glazer has often noted that the term “security” has many different definitions and connotations that can cause confusion if the specific meaning of the term is not delineated among those using it in any kind of business discussion.

Glazer, an insurance professional who has specialized in underwriting and consulting work, makes a point when performing her professional responsibilities to always clearly define any term that possesses the potential for ambiguity for this specific reason.

In this particular instance, Glazer is referring to the stability of a company with regard to its long-term viability in its industry. In creating a secure future for their business, the company’s leadership team must ensure that a mission has been clearly defined and that short- and long-term goals are in place so that growth is consistent and enables a business to reach its full potential.

Strong Impressions in Business Matter at Every Level From Top to Bottom

Anyone who has ever been a part of a job interview is well aware of the importance of making a strong first impression, yet it seems that there is less emphasis on this fact as careers progress and professionals reach positions of leadership. From the perspective of an individual who has achieved a certain level of professional success and has earned a role in which they oversee the work of others, it seems that the reason for the reduced emphasis on strong first impressions may relate to the belief that their track record will simply speak for itself.

While past successes may provide a greater degree of leeway for those in leadership positions, the impressions made on others still matter a great deal. In a line of thinking that evokes the work of David Kravitz, the problem seems to be related to the inability to see ourselves as others see us. In evaluating ourselves, we include every accomplishment we can recall and dismiss any recent misstep as one small mistake among countless triumphs. This, however, is not the way others see us or evaluate us, as the information at their disposal represents a much smaller cross-section.

Professional success is therefore continually reliant on the impressions made throughout the entirety of a career, and individuals must recognize that recency bias can indeed play a major role in the evaluations made by others. This applies to everyone from new employees to even those sitting on the Supreme Court, as there are always new people making value judgments based a very small sample size. One off-color remark or unfavorable decision can therefore shape the perception of others in way that may not always be immediately recognized. With a focus on making a consistently strong impression throughout the course of an entire career, professionals can ensure that they benefit from a more accurate perception held by others.

I Met Up With Business Professional, Ralph Slaske!

It always makes me feel good to go get my next back of business cards since I had recently ran out. When I run out of business cards, that tells me I am productive. Sure, anyone can hand out a business card to someone, but it means more when people ask for your card because you know that they are more likely to hold on to it verses if you give it to them yourself.

One day while out stocking up on more cards, I ran into Ralph Slaske who is a business mastermind for those who don’t know. Ralph is a sharp individual who revolutionized the way business cards work, so in the business world he is one of those famous people off the radar.

Slaske told me he was in the process of building his new site. At the time of this writing, there’s nothing there, so don’t be too disappointed. This was perhaps the most exciting thing I had witnessed today. I just met a business celebrity and I didn’t even ask for his business card!

Kion Kashefi Suggests 5 Business Card Design Ideas

business-cardsAnyone who has ever been handed a business card knows that the card itself plays a role in shaping the perception of the individual it belongs to. A crisp business card that is tastefully designed and is presented at an appropriate time can make a very positive impression that may lead to a fruitful business relationship, and Kion Kashefi believes it is important for professionals in any industry to thoughtfully consider the type of business card that is best suited to their needs. Mr. Kashefi has five suggestions that may be ideal for professionals in a variety of industries.

The Creative Presentation

A professional working in any sort of creative industry ought to be able to present a business card that accurately represents the creativity of their work, says Mr. Kashefi. A graphic designer should show off their skills in a card of their own design, and they may opt to do so through custom typography or other custom elements of graphic design.

The Interactive Approach

Mr. Kashefi believes that an interactive card is more likely to yield a beneficial professional relationship for a variety of reasons. An interactive card not only gives a professional contact reason to pull out the card, but it also gives them a reason to show it off to others. One advertising agency passed out musicbox comb cards that played a classic rock tune when it was traced by a fingernail, which makes it very likely that the card will be shown off time and again.

The Useful Option

A lot of shrewd professionals, according to Mr. Kashefi, have been handing out cards that are useful to the people they are handed out to. Professionals in industries involving repairs have taken to handing out multi-tools that are in the shape of a business card. This is a convenient little tool that a potential contact is very likely to hold onto for a very long time, which is obviously an exceptionally positive outcome.

The Industry-Relevant Choice

Professionals wishing to make a lasting impression with their business cards should opt for a design that is relevant to their specific industry. Many lawn care professionals have taken to handing out business cards that double as seed packets, while some delivery companies are handing out cards that can be folded into a cardboard box complete with shipping instructions.

The Classic Design

Mr. Kashefi believes that there is absolutely nothing wrong with opting for the classic business card look. An embossed business card with just the most relevant contact information is still a solid option for professionals regardless of their industry, and there is certainly a lot to like in this minimalist approach.

Don’t Need No Stinking Cards

If you are in sales and don’t think you need business cards you are sadly mistaken. images765JDXUQ The business card is your friend and they can be had cheap.  The small investment will pay off as people will not remember you without them.  I have been the customer that requests a card and the salesman doesn’t have them.  imagesYXZYR5PII view the lack of business cards as a negative and would rather work with a more established salesman.  If you plan to be successful in business then get those business cards made up and keep plenty on hand.  Kimra Bettasso has business cards and would not be without them.

Personal Cards

The other day a snow bird gave me a business card that had his personal information on it and no business.  untitled (104) images (9)I thought this would be a good way to convey your contact information to those you want to have it.  The email can be tuff to remember as we get older so having the information on a card would be great.  The card had a image of his motor home as well.  If I need to find this guy the card would be all I needed.  Tim DeCapua is a guy that hands out business cards like mad. He would be a good guide to follow.

Nontraditional Luigi Wewege Business Cards Are a Risk Worth Taking

Luigi Wewege Business CardsFor entrepreneurs who are running a company of their own, it is important for the business card they present to reflect the same creativity that led to a successful business endeavor. Business cards should be memorable and meaningful, and sometimes the classic business card with the stylish but understated embossing is not the most ideal way to reflect a creative and innovative persona.

As Luigi Wewege has said numerous times, a business card should not be showy without good reason. A card must make it clear what the person it represents does and why they are the best person to work with on that particular task. If the business card is for an individual working in the visual arts, then the card should be a miniature example of the creativity and skill the artist possesses. A bland, standard card will have the opposite effect.

The card itself should be created thoughtfully and constructed of solid material. It is also vital to remember that a card should not be handed out haphazardly. Only after a memorable interaction should a card be given to a potential contact, and there should be a good reason why that person will be interested in the products or services offered by the cardholder.

If, for example, an artist meets a prospective client at a gallery showing, then it is perfectly reasonable to say, “My work is inspired by this style. If you are interested, here is my card.” That is a good use of the card, whereas just handing them out to passersby is much less likely to yield any sort of positive result.